History
A brief history of the world that highlights the major events which led to the current political and social climates that the game is set in. Some of these specific events and periods may be explored in more depth as the game progresses. =The Early Era= The Early Era is a period of several hundred years when the ancestors of the modern world roamed the world and discovered it’s secrets. There were no empires then, the development of technology and magic was still primitive, and the wild beasts that came before the sentient Races roamed free and dominant. There is much unrecorded history prior to this time, some of which is whispered around camp fires and some which is speculated over by great aristocrats and scholars. The Early Era is estimated to encompass roughly 800 years. The Tribes One of the most prominent events of the Early Era occurred on the modern continent of Saliam, where tribes of Orcs and Humans and Elves all vied for control over the natural resources of the land mass. In first few centuries of recorded history, tribes had formed and stake out claims in the land to live on and defend. Over time, as the threats of wild beasts and unrelenting nature started to take their toll on the small tribes, the idea of collaboration and alliances came about. At first, it was the Elves and some of the more progressive Human tribes that began working together, though eventually the majority of the sentient Races were willing to acknowledge their mutual dependency. There were still wars and conflicts, but the number of cultural groups declined as many of the small communities merged into single, large, civilisations. Soon enough, Saliam had become a prosperous continent of mixed cultures and societies, and the realisation that there was a world beyond its shores began to dawn upon the tribes. Seafaring and The Great Voyage It was the Elves (the Harjun, surprisingly) who first started constructing great vessels to traverse the open oceans. Prior to this point it was unknown what was beyond the immediate vicinity of Saliam (then referred to as the Homeland) and the Elven breeds craved knowledge and adventure beyond their shores. After a number of failed attempts, the Elves managed to conquer the waves, and expeditions across the unknown commenced. It did not take long before the voyagers came across a foreign land of lush forests and peaks, landing their vessels in the now famous Ghestray’uhn Bay. It was on this day that the Caraltian Empire was informally founded, and the landing itself the catalyst for the civil war soon to come. Dragons It was just prior to the start of the First Age that the myth of dragons – great, flying, fire breathing lizards of the sky – jumped out of folklore and into history. Harvartha, the first of the ancient dragons to make itself known to the sentient people of Realm, razed several small villages on the outskirts of Kar, a relatively large settlement later to become the Saliam capital of Sal-Tora. This initial conflict between Man and Dragon was later studied as a diplomatic incident – lives were lost, but the ancients set the scene for the centuries to come. Harvartha showed the might of its Race and ensured that the soon-to-be Confederates knew their place. =First Age – Civil War and Confederacy= The beginning of the first age is a hotly disputed point amongst different cultures in the modern world, as it coincided with two major events which occurred over a 12 year period – the first Elven Civil War and the formation of the Caraltian Empire, and the formation of the Confederacy of Saliam. Those involved with each claim that the Age began with the respective event, so historical dates and references within the First Age vary based on who it is you’re talking to. The First Age is estimated to encompass roughly 400 years. The First Elven War Two full years after landfall was made at Ghestray’uhn Bay, the growing tensions between different Elven groups finally reached boiling point. It was a simple dispute of land, of cultural rights, and of control – the High Elves had long separated themselves from the other three breeds, all of whom were mostly assimilated as one until this point, and had claimed ownership of the new land found during the Great Voyage. It was a final show of superiority from the High Elves that pushed the others into conflict – the hostile removal of Elves from their homes along the Ghestray’uhn coastline. It was said that the area was to be remodelled as a boardwalk and main shipping dock for the city to come. Infuriated, militias of both Drow and Vestari rose up as one and civil conflict exploded within the main settlements nearby, quickly resulting in the death of the High Elf leader of the time, a religious prophet named Ahn’vula Caraltia. Taking on his name for their cause, the newly formed Caraltian Elves took to their former neighbours with a vengeance. What followed was a feud of bloodshed and chaos, mostly confined to the newly discovered continent of Caraltia, with Caraltians combating the Drow and Vestari fighters all along the settled coast. For the most part, it was just prior to this conflict that the Harjun withdrew from the prominent settlements and were not seen again until peacetime. The Elven war last four years, mostly a guerrilla war between the Caraltians, who were fortified and with the highest manpower and resources, and a combination of Drow and Vestari extremists, who took to ‘hit and run’ tactics in the hopes of driving their cousins from their homes. The conflict ended with a mutual treaty between the Caraltians and the Drow, while the Vestari simply disappeared for some time only to resurface years later all across the world. Due to the context of the wars end, the Vestari now find reasons to look down upon their kin – the Caraltians for taking their homes and their land, the Drow for backing down from the fight, and the Harjun for fleeing when things got tough. The Drow agreed to the treaty and mostly departed Caraltia, aiming to explore the rest of the world and to find a home of their own. Many still exist in Saliam, though it is commonly assumed that the majority of Drow societies ended up finding their way to Khor’vana and making lives there. With the end of the war came the declaration of unity of all High Elves and the official founding of the Caraltian Empire. Confederacy During the Elven Civil War, the majority of other sentient beings remained untouched by the conflict and generally steered clear of the newly discovered continent. While the battles waged across the oceans, the Human tribes were undergoing peaceful revelations and exploration. By the end of the Elven War the Human Confederacy of Saliam had been founded and many voyages had been set across the world’s oceans to explore the rest of the world. Despite Caraltians insisting that they had uncatalogued voyages exploring the world during their wars, it is commonly trusted that it was during this Confederacy exploration that the first contact with Khor’vana was made. With a united empire of Human (and Halfling) cultures aligned under a single banner, the Confederates of Saliam soon rose to be the superpower of the primitive world and by the time the Elven War had ended news was spreading of their exploration of the New World and their great undertakings in Saliam – cities and fortresses, great agricultural plains, and previously unheard of diplomatic relations with the dwarves who dwelled silently within the mountains prior to this point. =Second Age – Khor’vana and the Orcs= The Second Age spanned the longest in recorded history, over 600 years, and is accountable for the majority of the world’s current social and technological advancement. The Second Age is estimated to have to encompass over 600 years. Khor’vana Coming soon. Orc Hordes Coming Soon The Dwarves of Farras Point Coming soon =Third Age – Politics and Dragons= The Third Age is currently underway, and has been so for over 200 years. The Age began with the completion of the Orc War in Saliam and has been slowly building up to the current scene we play in today. The Third Age is estimated to encompass over 200 years. The current year is 237 of the Third. Harvartha’s Passing Coming soon Naval Skirmishes Coming soon Settlement Coming soon